Is stress making you sick?

There’s good stress
and bad stress –
mindfulness is a way
of addressing stress
that might be having
a negative impact on
your health.

Stress, I’m sure most of us have felt this before, I know I definitely have.

That moment when you get a fright, say you slip near a cliff; all of a sudden, your heart is racing, you’re a sweaty mess and you’re ready to grab something to save yourself.

This is an example of good stress that can save your life, adrenaline pumps through our veins increasing blood to our muscles and we are ready to fight, run or in this instance, grab onto something for dear life.

But stress can have some bad effects on us too, and unlike the previous example it tends to be the chronic stresses that we don’t address that impact us the most.

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that chronic stress is linked to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue and increased susceptibility to infection.

It can also have effects on our mental health, leading to anxiety and depression disorders.

According to the bureau of statistics, 75 per cent of Australians surveyed admitted that stress adversely effects their physical health and almost two in five reported experiencing depression symptoms.

So how can we minimise stress to benefit our physical mental health and wellbeing?

Eating healthy and exercising regularly can help a lot with physical symptoms of stress but what about the racing mind?

Have you tried mindfulness?

Mindfulness is gaining more interest lately and research is finding that is has some very positive effects on our psychological health.

It has been found to increase subjective wellbeing, decrease psychological symptoms, emotional reactivity and improve behavioural regulation.

So, what exactly is mindfulness?

One of the most commonly cited definitions is the awareness that arises through “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, into the present moment, and non-judgementally.”

So why not give mindfulness a go and reduce that stress for a happier and more balanced you!

Dr Lisa Kiddle is an osteopath at the Health Creation Centre in Ocean Grove.